A committee of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation board is proud to announce the selection of the 2023 scholarship recipients. Congratulations to Margaret Gaither, Kloi Hart, and Levi Wagner for their selection as SCWF scholarships and to Nina Coli for being selected as the Nicole Chadwick Memorial Scholarship.
SCWF is honored to be able to distribute educational grants to full-time students pursuing a degree in any environmental field at South Carolina schools of higher education. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible, based on their performance in academia and in related community activities. These scholarships are funded by contributions from generous individual donors in addition to the ongoing support received from these funds:
· D. L. Scurry Foundation provides educational scholarship funds for individuals attending colleges, universities and technical schools in South Carolina.
· The Nicole Chadwick Memorial Fund honors the legacy of an endangered species biologist who made a long-lasting impact on wildlife conservation in South Carolina.
· The Riverbanks Conservation Support Fund (CSF) provides financial assistance for conservation oriented projects/programs worldwide that promote preservation of the Earth’s biodiversity.
2023 SCWF Scholarship Winners:
Margaret Gaither is pursuing her masters at Clemson University in Wildlife and Fisheries. She is a first generation college student with a 4.0 GPA. She hopes to work for a state or federal agency doing research in fish passage and is working on this project currently using acoustic transmitter tags. She enjoys trail running and microfishing and her favorite fish is a yellow bullhead.
Image Caption: Margaret Gaither holding a female American shad that she tagged.
Kloie Hart is a Junior at Clemson University in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology. As a first generation college student, she maintains a 3.9 GPA and is focused on a career in conservation biology that deals with native animal and plant species. She is a member of the South Carolina Native Plant Society and is interested in working with a non-profit upon graduation. She follows SCWF closely to follow what is happening in SC regarding the conservation of our biodiversity.
Image caption: Kloie Hart holding a green anole.
University of South Carolina student Levi Wagner is a sophomore with a 3.903 GPA and is majoring in environmental studies with a minor in mass communications. His career focus is “to make scientific information more reliable, understandable, and easily accessible for the general public while continuing to bridge the gap between scientists and citizens.” He has a particular interest in coastal communities and is an advocate for environmental justice and species conservation.
Image Caption: Levi Wagner holding an Atlantic Stingray that was collected (and released) in an "otter trawl".
The recipient of the Nicole Chadwick Memorial Scholarship is Nina Coli. Nina is a junior at the University of South Carolina majoring in environmental science and minoring in marine science. She is a first generation college student with a 3.97 GPA. Her future plans include pursuing “research opportunities and to serve as an environmental educator/communicator so that everyday individuals may be able to learn about the important environmental topics that affect them.” Nina recently attended the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) conference as a Minorities in Natural Resource Conservation (MINRC) fellow where she was able to put into perspective some of her professional goals, “especially in the SCWF’s mission to conserve South Carolina’s ecosystems, advocate alongside local policymakers, restore the land and environment we rely on, and educate individuals on the vitality of South Carolina’s wildlife and natural resources.”
Image Caption: Nina Coli holding a blue crab.
Congratulations to all of the scholarship recipients. Knowledge lays the groundwork for analyzing environmental problems, resolving conflicts, and preventing new problems from arising. The South Carolina Wildlife Federation is committed to supporting future leaders by helping to provide the financial resources necessary to lay the groundwork for more responsible decision-making tomorrow. We will open applications for the 2024 scholarships during April, and the deadline is October 31. For information on scholarships from SCWF, visit www.scwf.org/scholarships.